What Is a Safety Speaker?
Human resources and business leaders use many methods to inspire and develop safety protocols and ensure they are used. One of the more creative ways is with a safety speaker.
A safety speaker is an expert who also has professional speaking training and a known reputation for motivating employees to improve safety. They are paid to come to the company and inspire employees to instill and obey safety measures.
Safety speakers are different from human resources directors, company coaches, or safety trainers. Those are in-house employees or subcontractors whose job is to put safety protocols in place and help employees understand them.
A safety speaker is someone who understands safety, why people aren’t motivated to follow it, has data on it, but can also provide the information in an entertaining way.
Examples would be speakers who use comedy, magic, audience participation, mind reading, music, or hypnotism in their delivery.
Below are some top reasons to hire a safety speaker to increase safety at work.
1. They Inspire Real Behavior Change
Employees listening to a professional speaker about safety often walk out of the meeting more motivated and inspired to do better. Speakers know how to combine emotional elements with data to drive a point.
2. They Boost the Retention of Safety Protocols
Employees will remember more about what a professional speaker says about safety because of the entertaining way it’s presented. A safety speaker will likely include visuals, storytelling, and other talents with the data making for a memorable experience.
Statistics show that the average person can repeat about 50% of the information immediately afterward. They can recall 25% a few days later. A safety speaker increases those statistics, especially if the company reinforces the information regularly after the meeting.
3. They Boost Engagement in Safety Meetings
Employees don’t always want to attend a safety lecture so many don’t pay attention while the head of human resources works a PowerPoint. However, listening to a special speaker who knows how to entertain as well as inform will keep their attention and help them focus on the information.
4. Illustrations Prove a Point
Many top safety speakers have backgrounds that include being injured or being a part of an unsafe work situation. They can speak to the aftermath of being careless or not obeying safety standards. The story, sometimes along with the speaker being in a wheelchair or using artificial limbs, demonstrates the consequences of ignoring safety.
5. They Have More Current Data
Professional safety speakers have more national and international research than a company employee. They are constantly updating information so employees leave well versed in the topic.
6. They Help Reduce Accidents and Near Misses
Outside safety speakers bring results with fewer accidents and near accidents. Statistics show a safety speaker can reduce accidents by 65%.
7. They Support Leadership Goals
Safety speakers brought in for a special presentation automatically carry more authority than someone who works for the company. Employees know they were sought after and the event is promoted as special so that elevates them.
The Best Times to Hire a Safety Speaker
Hiring a professional safety speaker shouldn’t be a random occurrence. It needs to be tied into an event or mission to elevate its importance. Plus, tying it into an event like National Safety Week allows you to heavily promote it and continue to share safety information before, during, and after the week.
Excellent times to hire a safety speaker beyond National Safety Week or a designated company safety week are:
- During onboarding of a group of new employees. This lets them know from the beginning of their employment that you consider their safety important.
- Beginning of the physical or fiscal new year. This is a good time to reflect on accomplishments and set new goals.
- During an industry event you are hosting. This reaches a larger group of people and makes the event special.
- For a compliance audit. This shows auditors you are serious about improvements and could help their perception of your company.
- After incidents. Incidents serve as a stark reminder that safety is important and there is no better way to emphasize that than with a safety speaker. This is when employees are emotionally geared to accept change and are receptive to what is presented.
How to Choose the Right Safety Speaker
The success of your safety presentation depends on how well you did in choosing the right safety speaker for your company. It isn’t just that a safety speaker is well-known or professional but that is right for your industry and your audience. The wrong fit won’t bode well and will not help maintain enthusiasm over time.
A quick checklist of what you should look for in a safety speaker includes someone who:
- Knows your industry
- Customizes their talks
- Blends data with stories
- Includes actionable takeaways
Each one of these elements is important to keep the attention of attendees. Employees need to relate to the safety speaker and know the presenter understands their job. That gives the safety speaker more credibility.
You don’t want a one-size-fits-all speech. A great speaker speaks directly to your company’s issues and adds stories to illustrate key points. Actionable takeaways give attendees a way to implement what they’ve heard into practice rather than just be inspired.
Look for the Right Safety Speaker Today
Safety speakers abound and it’s not challenging to find the right one for your company! Curate bios and ask others in your industry who they recommend. Watch some online videos of past presentations. Make a choice that leaves attendees feeling personally involved with creating a better workplace and get real results with the perfect safety speaker for your company today!